After long layoff, Illini look for new momentum for Rose Bowl

When No. 13 Illinois (9-3) plays No. 6 Southern Cal (10-2) in the Rose Bowl on Tuesday in Pasadena, Calif., is it rest or rust for the Illini?

John Supinie

Illinois finished the football regular season on a roll by winning the last four games. No player on the Illini roster developed more than sophomore quarterback Juice Williams.

He passed for 612 yards with seven touchdowns and rushed for 438 yards with five touchdowns during the span, transforming from an option quarterback to a true dual threat who can burn a defense with his legs or his arm. Then came a 45-day layoff, since the Big Ten Conference season finishes earlier than every other major conference.

So when No. 13 Illinois (9-3) plays No. 6 Southern Cal (10-2) in the Rose Bowl on Tuesday (3:30 p.m., ABC) in Pasadena, Calif., is it rest or rust for the Illini? The question has been going through Williams' mind.

"I ponder it every day, thinking about if I'm going to have the same reactions I had at the end of the season or go back to the struggling days at the beginning of the season,'' Williams said. "It's all how I feel on that particular day, whether I'm confident, full of anxiety, nervous or full of butterflies.

"I think I should be all right. I'm pretty confident coming off the type of season I've had.''

It's hard to regain the momentum after a long layoff -- just ask the Colorado Rockies and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Colorado won 10 straight games heading into the World Series, but a seven-day layoff may have played a role in Boston's four-game sweep. Favored Ohio State fell 41-14 to Florida in last year's national title game after the long wait because of the Big Ten's early finish.

Southern Cal played twice after the Illini ended the season, but the Trojans haven't played in 31 days. The layoff is longer than any in coach Ron Zook's career.

"I have tried to call around and talk to some people about what they've done,'' Zook said. "This is the first time I've been through it.''

Following a break for Thanksgiving, Illinois stayed busy with lifting and conditioning sessions during the week before practicing on the weekends in early December. The intensity rose last week, when the Illini had essentially a mini-camp. There were even days with double sessions.

"With the game getting closer and closer, you can kind of sense the pitch rising a little bit,'' Illini linebacker J Leman said last week before the Illini took a four-day break for Christmas.

Illinois doesn't want to lose timing on offense or the physical play on defense. If Williams lacks confidence, offensive coordinator Mike Locksley must rebuild it.

"Then we have to do a better job of coaching him up so that he's not wondering how he's going to play,'' Locksley said. "He'll know how he plays based on how he's practicing. That's usually a good indicator. He's had pretty good practices the last couple weeks. (As the game gets closer), he will focus now that he has a goal to play that week.''

Zook juggled keeping his players healthy while still having that physical edge. Illinois scrimmaged twice in December in the indoor facility.

"It's something where you've got that quick whistle and you're very, very concerned about (injuries), but I think it's important that you do that,'' Zook said. "Southern Cal has played two games since we've played, so they've been in that hitting shape and hitting condition a little bit more.

"If you go back and you remember in the very first game (against Missouri), we probably didn't tackle as well as we needed to tackle. You try to take care of your guys in terms of hitting in the preseason. It's the same thing now. You've got to hit enough. How much is enough? How much is too much?''

The Big Ten plans to adjust in 2009. The Big Ten presidents on Dec. 2 approved extending the football season by one week. The Big Ten still finishes conference play before Thanksgiving, the only major conference to do so.

The extension will move the Big Ten season closer to bowl season and also give conference teams a bye week. In 2008, the calendar already includes a bye week.

John Supinie can be reached at Johnsupinie@aol.com. For more coverage, read Illini Talk blog at www.sj-r.com and www.pjstar.com.